Dispensing package



United States Patent 3,248,156 DISPENSING PACKAGE John P. Repko, Beaverton, Mich., assignor to The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 387,035 6 Claims. (Cl. 312-71) This application is a continuation-in-part of application Serial No. 112,848, filed May 26, 1961, now Patent No. 3,164,298.

This invention relates to an improvement in dispensing packages of the type used for dispensing unitized consumer articles such as .gum, sugar, etc.

The dispensing package disclosed herein incorporates several features not found in dispensing packages of the prior art. For example, the dispenser is preferably made from a rigid plastic, which may be transparent, translucent, opaque, and may be plain, printed or overwrapped; such a package may replace, or combine those presently used for shipping and/ or as a display carton. As an alternative, the dispenser may be made of stiff paperboard. A further feature relates to the manner in which the package will automatically position an article for convenient removal from the package. Still another feature resides in the provision for aflixing the package to a supporting surface by means of self-contained holding means in the form of an adhesive coated rear wall. The dispensing package made in accordance with the principles of the invention can be utilized for handling many difierent forms of articles, i.e., square, rectangular, oval, round, or pillow type units.

A principal object of the invention is to provide an improvement in a dispensing package of the type used for dispensing unitized consumer articles such as gum, sugar, etc.

A more specific object is to provide a dispensing package made from rigid plastic material, and which may replace, or combine, those presently used for shipping and/ or display.

Another object is to provide a dispensing package which will automatically position an article for convenient removal from the package.

Still another object is to provide a dispensing package which may be easily aflixed to a supporting surface by means of a self-contained holding means.

A further object is to provide a dispensing package which can be utilized for handling many dilferent forms of articles, i.e., square, rectangular, oval, round or pillowtype units.

These and further objects and features of the invention will become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of a dispenser particularly adapted for use in dispensing pillowtype packets.

FIG. 2 is a view generally as seen along line 2-2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the dispenser of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a pillow-type packet as held in the dispenser of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, a dispenser 122 is shown which may be used for rectangular pillow-type packets 124 having liquid or free-flowing contents, such as syrup, sugar, etc. The dispenser is formed with parallel walls 126 either of which may serve as a front wall, and paral- -lel side walls 128. A cover 130 is arranged on the top end of the dispenser, such as with hinge 131 and locking clasp 133 while the bottom end has a wall 132 with semicircular openings 134 oppositely arranged and extending 3,248,156 Patented Apr. 26, 1966 inwardly from the edges, as best seen in FIG. 3. A composite opening is provided in the lower end of each wall 126, which opening has an elongated portion 136 extending substantially the width of the wall, and a narrower opening 138 which connects with the opening 136, as best seen in FIG. 1. In such manner, the packets 124 may be conveniently removed from either side of the dispenser 122.

The dispenser, in the preferred form, also contains a packet biasing means, such as a foam block 140 made of synthetic foam plastic, porous rubber, foamed cellulose or natural sponge in a compressed state, for assisting in the movement of the packets 124 to the dispenser opening 136. This is especially valuable where the dispenser is used in a horizontal manner rather than in the vertical manner shown.

In fabricating the dispenser, a singular molded structure with a removable top can be made or else some of the walls may be integrally molded, and the remaining walls glued, or otherwise bonded to the molded walls prior to, or after the dispenser is loaded. An adhesive portion 142 with protective film 144, is arranged on one side wall so that the dispenser may be aflixed to a supporting surface when in use.

Attention is directed to the fact that the opening for dispensing the articles is of a shape with allows a grasping action. That is, the article to be removed from the dispenser can be grasped between the thumb and index (or other) finger of the person removing the article. The dispenser thus allows adequate grip upon two adjoining surfaces of the article so that it can "be readily removed. While generally rectangular cross-sections have been employed in the embodiments shown, other shape cross-sections may be utilized, viz., circular, oval, etc., to accommodate the shape of the articles being dispensed, such other shaped dispensers all including the basic concepts of the invention.

The foregoing description has been given in detail without though of limitation since the inventive principles involved are capable of assuming other forms without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A package for sequentially dispensing unitized articles comprising a front, a back and two side wall portions arranged for holding a plurality of said articles arranged in a single column and a bottom, said package being formed with an opening in each of said two side wall portions for dispensing one of said articles at a time, said opening having a width approximating one dimension of said articles whereby said articles may be removed through either wall portion, and a finger hole extending from said opening on said wall portion whereby an article may be more easily engaged to effect removal.

2. The package of claim 1 wherein material of the package is a rigid plastic.

3. The package of claim 1 wherein an adhesive portion is provided on one of the remaining wall portions other than said two opposing wall portions whereby the package may be removably secured to a supporting wall surface.

4. A package for sequentially dispensing unitized articles comprising a front, a back and two side wall portions arranged for holding a plurality of said articles arranged in a single column and a bottom, said package being formed with an opening in each of said two side wall portions for dispensing one of said articles at a time, said opening having a width approximating one dimension of said articles whereby said articles may be removed through either wall portion, and a first finger hole extending from said opening on said wall portion, and a second finger hole extending opposite said first finger hole and extending from said opening on a wall portion adjoining said two opposing wall portions whereby an article may be more easily grasped to effect removal. 5

5. A package for sequentially dispensing unitized articles comprising a front, a back and two side wall portions arranged for holding a plurality of said articles arranged in a single column and a bottom, said package being formed with an opening in each of said two side wall portions for dispensing one of said articles at a time, said opening having a width approximating one dimension of said articles whereby said articles may be removed through either wall portion, said package containing an article biasing means for assisting inmovement of said unitized articles to said openings.

6. The package of claim 5 wherein said biasing means comprises compressed foam.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,010,468 12/ 1911 Weaver 312-61 1,850,254 3/ 1932 Zimmerman 229-17 2,226,626 l1-2/ 1940 Mann 221-124 -2,=340,5 61 2/ 1944 Renfro 3 l242 2,633,006 3/1953 Taylor 9531 2,765,998 10/ 1956 Engert 248 29 2,805,111 9/1957 Jarnot 31242 1 2,954,128 9/ 1960 Gordon 21149 3,080,998 3/1963 Lacas 22l-232 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PACKAGE FOR SEQUENTIALLY DISPENSING UNITIZED ARTICLES COMPRISING A FRONT, A BLACK AND TWO SIDE WALL PORTIONS ARRANGED FOR HOLDING A PLURALITY OF SAID ARTICLES ARRANGED IN A SINGLE COLUMN AND A BOTTOM, SAID PACKAGE BEING FORMED WITH AN OPENING IN EACH OF SAID TWO SIDE WALL PORTIONS FOR DISPENSING ONE OF SAID ARTICLES AT A TIME, SAID OPENING HAVING A WIDTH APPROXIMATING ONE DIMENSION OF SAID ARTICLES WHEREBY SAID ARTICLES MAY BE REMOVED THROUGH EITHER WALL PORTION, AND A FINGER HOLE EXTENDING FROM SAID OPENING ON SAID WALL PORTION WHEREBY AN ARTICLE MAY BE MORE EASILY ENGAGED TO EFFECT REMOVAL. 